Read this: 13/11/2020 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello after last week's interview with Mark Mardell the BBC's former, North America and Europe editor and presenter of the world one.

We've had an enormous response from you.

Yes, even rivalling off feature on the Archers monologues some listeners are worried.

I just think if someone who's supporting the BBC that my voice amongst others needs to be listened to before it's too late and all of the good stuff has gone others think the concerns are over done a fully recognised ever thought of broadcaster cannot be dismissed likely consumer BBC news on Radio 4 and have not noticed any falling standards.

I'll be talking to a former head of BBC TV news, who also the Today programme does Roger Mosey think it's smaller storm in a broadcasting has teacup know the BBC's journalism is going to be impoverished at a time when you

What you need it more than ever also this week BBC News is still committed to impartiality but what about a Radio 4 series on parenting? I could not believe how one side of the programme was though all evidence discussed pointed to the fact that the only child was final preferable but nothing on the other side of the argument impartial unbalanced.

I'll be talking to the editor of radio for bringing up Britain and the case of the missing barking dog recording the Elton John made where the dog barking in the brown was actually incorporated into the track by the producer but not incorporated into an essay about composers and cocker Spaniels on Radio 3 as a out of your comfort zone listeners.

Find this program black some bite find out later in feedback.

On last week's programme we heard from the newly retired Mark Mardell former presenter of the world at One the world this weekend and former North America and Europe editor to name just a few of the you held throughout his 30th plus career with the cooperation of his concerns about the reporting of Donald Trump and his supporters as well as his belief that the ongoing cuts in the numbers of the reporters threatens to damage.

It's journalism is parked at considerable listen a response here are some of your thoughts Alan Rodger bolton's interview with Mark McDowell afternoon was very interesting informative but also slightly depressing since the expertly highlighted many of the current and mounting failings of the BBC decline of expert reporting exaggerated etc.

May be caused by financial constraints, but not all some appear to be good to see self-inflicted Eileen braven.

We've lost

Papers and very little has been said about this and now it seems we can do without journalists at the national level who will be left to investigate on our behalf without trustworthy journalists, who will hold the powerful to account in fact who will determine what news is John Williams from South Wales from my view as a long-standing and absolutely committed subscribe to the BBC the depth Range and integrity of your journalism is what I pay for a wee to be faced with a very limited number of the listening and accessible journalist feeding this information.

We already know and the loss of properly funded investigative journalism Morris we have a broadcasting organisation which years has been around the world and that in the main has been for the quality of its reporting.

We will be all the poorer if it is diluted to a media organisation can.

Game shows sport and American drama every cloud has a silver lining I've noticed that today's news report is a much more diverse than last year's men and women there is now a fascinating mixture of authentic accents from around the globe so have some management drive for cost savings has resulted in using cheaper, but very competent diverse last week and this week.

We asked for a representative BBC News management to come onto the program.

We wanted them to discuss the concerns articulated by Mark Mardell and about the new model of BBC News production this involves significant cuts in the number of reporters and their reallocation the BBC needs to save 800 Million by the end of this licence fee period in April 2022 BBC News is achieving 80 million worth of savings by losing 520 jobs in the net.

A further 25 million is being saved in local and regional services through 450 job losses as I said we wanted to discuss this with a representative from BBC News but our invitations were declined and we were given these statements instead the new model will Focus first on stories rather than platforms and the best Jonah listen to as many audiences as possible although reporters won't be linked to a specific program in practice.

There are likely to be some who do the majority of their reporting for radio for example carefully crafted and packages for radio listeners will remain cost to output we receive this statement from BBC England we're proud of our successful local and regional TV services part of the BBC is exempt from the savings needed to deal with our financial challenge.

We should be working in a more consistent and efficient way taking advantage of new technology and aids.

What we learnt during covid 2 provide a comprehensive and engaging service for our audiences well, I'm delighted to be joined by the former editorial director of BBC Roger Mosey most of the editor of today and head of BBC TV news.

There was his autobiography says he managed to get out alive.

Thank you for joining us Roger Mosey let me put the point of getting too worked up about this younger reporters a more diverse cheaper and confident we shouldn't worry about the loss of all these experience report well 1st sess look at what report is doing to me.

They are essential to programs like today and the world of one so the hard factors are going to be many few of them.

I mean overall.

It looks like something like my post going to 14 or if you're on Radio 4 and possibly it looks like 11 reporting slots become just too and it doesn't really matter therefore.

So the about they are as just that they are many many few of them now.

I think that diversity is crucially important to and gender is important and ethnicities important also is aging experience and you know I hope that the BBC can preserve the right mix of reporters and crucially have the people that programs need to give the kind of contour excellent programming that we expect at the Dew talks about the dangers of having centralised commissioning if you like at the tyranny or most of the news machine and when you edit of the Today programme while away now you did have the ability to commission your own report doesn't send them at the stories.

You thought were important.

Yes, that looks as it won't be the case anymore.

Yes, there has always been an itch to realise and the fact that I believe that programs are better if they have originality and editorial scope to go and investigate and look at things sometimes that means.

A bit more difficult to control and they can be a bit mischievous sometimes but so beard and the itch to control is really it's probably about cutting costs.

I understand that the seat just had to cut cos it's also because program reports are sometimes seen as a bit trouble some more out of control and maybe they don't always obey the kind of Central command and I think the risk is you end up with less diversity a lot less editorial Enterprise and the poorer programs for it because the central control just isn't as effective in knowing the audience of the Today programme or you breakfast.

Do you think this dangerous compounded by the fact that regional journalism local jobs in particular has been and will losing jobs in newspapers losing jobs in commercial radio BBC local radio facing cutbacks local and regional journalism.

It's been cut back at the same time.

Yes, I sent in the past that the BBC is taking a Wrecking Ball 2.

The today pregnant with a good case in point away today is arguably the BBC's most important program.

It has definitely been stripped of resources massive and we're talking about maybe 11 Radio 4 reporters across the whole of the network going down to two we had more important than that and people like Justin Webb and Bill Turnbull and Callum Robinson Clive myrie, something to stick to the program.

So you're right if you can pound that loss on Radio 4 with what's happening in the nations of regions were also some very very people are going the BBC's journalism is going to be impoverished at a time when you feel like you need it more than ever will of course see that BBC management of news would a doctor say where we recognise some of these but look we've got to make these cuts there is duplication often too many people are sent to the United States where we've got good stories that aren't heard across the network.

We need to make sure more people.

The stories were making we've got to make katsu if you don't want me to cut we're making where would you make it's a very fat points on the BBC is facing quite a big financial crisis however if you look at Princes amounts of money spent in television and I I did have a spare have been acting director of television money in television is colossal by comparison with radio and I would guess so you could get a very good reporting contingent across Radio 4 for much less than billion pounds a year and if you compare with any television drama or your do we need every iteration of MasterChef the Professionals on Celebrity the BBC can decide where is protease are and if it is not a Percy that seems a bit peculiar to me this week from the Secretary of State about two things upcoming which I will have Direct impact on the BBC finances first of all he started the negotiations over the next licence fee which is due to come in.

April 2022 and he said this unless to BBC which some might think sounds a little financially ominous the BBC needs to be involved the financial backdrop has changed dramatically over the last year and as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and many families will not have the same level of disposable income so there needs to be continued savings and suggest in particular around Talent pay levels, so I think we can get some that the licence is not going to go up dramatically is it so use it going to face continued you would imagine the next for 5-years.

I am not sanguine about the BBC's position because clearly they are losing younger audience especially in television and such a huge amount of choice now and that's why I think it's probably quite good thing that the government and the BBC look at what the size and shape of the BBC should be and there should be a rational dial.

American object to it national dialogue you sometimes hear noises coming out of Downing Street the sound putatively as if they really want to destroy the BBC and that must be allowed to happen having a conversation seems right and I also hope they let him daily get on with it.

He's a new director-general with an agenda, and he needs to be given time to recite the BBC and everything is doing so far seems quite promising to me with the possible exception of what's happening with ready for reporting my dad's Roger Mosey format BBC head of TV news and editor today and please do tell us your thoughts about that interview or anything else to do with BBC Radio this is how to get in touch you can send an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk or write a letter to the address is feedback PO Box 67234 London se1p 4ax you can follow up.

By using at BBC R4 feedback, or you can call us and leave a phone message on 03345 standard landline charges apply, but it could cost more and some mobile networks all these details are on our website will a square asking to BBC Radio listeners to step out of their comfort zones and listen to a program that would normally be on their radar this week.

We have the right kapuku and her partner stuart-taylor London from the first of all the sense of your listening habits.

What would be your top 2 programmes if you were stuck on that mythical desert island Saturday life with holes and Nikki Bella still it's very warm program so relax and other kind of eclectic mix of guests just as you find on loose ends with Clive Anderson and I really enjoy.

What about you still at your top 3 first off would be the book club secondly would be thinking Aloud and thirdly would be Woman's Hour a really interesting and insightful perspective or more than 51% of the world's human inhabitants.

Well.

They would bring a male, but we've asked you to review a very different sort of program.

It's an addition of the SAS series about composers and their dogs is on Radio 3 at last Thomas 15-minutes and we've asked you to look specifically episode 5 cocker spaniels describe the programme.

What's it does exactly what it says on the tin? I really liked this program.

I thought it was when it was quite short to-the-point and it was just kind of woman a bit quirky.

Touch my heart because in a we have a dog that spots cocker Spaniel and I recognised him in some of the comments that will be in made about the dogs of these composers Stewart tickets into a joint owner of the dog.

You probably share some of those views yes to point.

I am perhaps since we talking about dogs.

Maybe a little bit more hard-bitten.

I found this program interesting dish but for me and my palate a little bit too saccharin and a little bit to centric interesting but not prime listening up for me normally Arthur wouldn't have been allowed into the Windsor Guildhall at all but is the best elton's favourite cocker spaniel was an official member of the wedding party centre.

What's having fun to listen to you, but I suppose underlying yes, it was the thought that.

Or I'd assumed that in some way the spaniels had had an impact on the music and the composition and I'm not sure what was that? Did you sing for arnica that came through the test was made for that these dogs have managed three times through their own too soon to download free download free become indispensible to their owners.

I mean it was interesting.

I didn't personally get this feeling that were they were talking about Elgar or Elton John that they had been inspired to write by their dogs, but I did get the sense that the dogs with very deeply a part of their lives certainly fed their emotional life, but I wouldn't say that they were the Direct inspiration as such are there was one time in the programme that I think one of the enigma Variations by Elgar was.

Inspired by bulldog but we didn't hear any of that the music at all which was Saturday strange.

I wondered whether they let you might have been illustrated by music and it wasn't I think that would have made the case a little more compellingly particularly with reference to a recording that Elton John made where the dog barking in the background was actually incorporate into the track by the producer so if we have heard that it would have made the case electrolyte this depends.

Obviously it's contact matters the most but it depends on the livid sustaining it for what nearly 14 minutes is a quite a call.

How did you think that the presenter professor Fiona Stafford did did you like her voice to do like a delivery? Do you think it was listen she was compelling she was very informed and some of the historical and empirical information that she sprinkled across.

Plantation weather that was about the specific composers or whether that was about the history of the breed type so interesting what I associate with Radio 3 Light listening well prepared well presented actually for me.

It's a surprise that this is on because I've never thought of light destiny.

I've always thought of it that radio station that does that heavy classical music and it's all in a quite door to go back to the reference.

You know the Shakespeare reference what we consider what I would consider person need to be in a great characteristic to have you know devotional auntie at one point.

I was considered a negative wasn't sweets morning apparently that was considered next so that was something I've never heard before similarly the the term deceitful flattery.

I mean I think that's rather injurious.

Dogs good intentions yeah, they're very friendly and love to please their owners in fact Spaniels are so keen to pleased that they were once a byword for phoning superciliousness and even deceitful flattery Shakespeare's Julius Caesar who had good reason to worry about insincere praise listed bass spaniel falling along with sweet word professor has Stafford has done a previously to t-series vs.

The meaning of trees and the meaning of the episode with discussion with the last 12504 more about dogs and music so he is the test you not out of your comfort zone, but will you listen and go back to any of the previous for is a bad dogs? I would politely decline the invitation to your open mounted this point.

I mean, I'm only interested in please cos we've got one shot me.

Thank you very much and thank you very much.

Thank you and you can find that Radio 3 Series vs a composers and their dogs on BBC sounds and do let us know if you would like to be put out of comfort zone.

Bringing up Britain on Radio 4 addresses of variety of issues surrounding raising children in this country and in this age in the latest series of 13th the presenter Angela mutanda and get everything from young boys with body as to whether you should have a single child or lots of children in a family the executive editor bringing up Britain Phillips ellis-jones be now this is the 13th series.

Why do we still need programmes about bringing up children? Don't we know how to do it by now well.

It's only policy is very important in government is very important in education and it's something most of our listeners either.

Do we'll have some interaction with and it's a constantly evolving picture if you think about bringing up children now to bring up children even 10 years ago when in the age prior to Komedia prior to identity politics being a teenager being a young person or being a mum and a dad is an evolving thing and lost the money that government spends in Welsh

Education is part of social policies have been invested in schools and in colleges and in welfare is an important social issues of the more we examine those the more we find stories and the latest research to describe two listeners, you accept the criticisms of the programme in the current series of having a second child was biased against larger families.

I should have been heard consequences of growing up alone child has this Ellie Rose looking forward to this is exactly this decision at the moment.

I could not believe how one side of the programme was though all evidence pointed to the fact that being an only child was final preferable but nothing on the other side of the argument expert after experts at having a second child can be bad for your finances for the environment for your own time pick up that first question for the Settlers the presenter has one child.

I think the conclusion of the woman at the centre of the story was that use 80% in you have having one child using the thing was biased in favour of having one child.

We're not in the business of making bias programs.

I think what we tried to do in this particular program.

I think actually all of the case studies we built the programs around individual case studies of parents who have the courage to come on to the radio on so I got a dilemma and in this case law and I think was quite brave said the Mum I've enjoyed having one child but I'm not sure in this world where there's a lot of pressure to have a second job where I'm up to it where I want to do that and we will take that as a central core to allow us to understand the issues around why some women feel like this, but also building as I said Society understanding of what bringing children of the world does seem quite a legitimate way of organising the program as soon as you get married if people to go down that are you going to once you've had your child is going to have another one.

It's kind of can I just pause.

Can I enjoy my life at this point in time well, Helen Lawrence Johnson Road to a single mother missing person the church after.

Into this program today.

I really believe and feel strongly that loan children should have had a representation in order to give their experiences of growing up without siblings and the impact it has had on growing up was a child and in their adult life shooting.

It was a mistake concentrate particularly on the mother and not to go out and seek from the children at the only child was because the child is more important even than the mother in this instance is bringing up Britain tends to focus on the parents and the children who are under 18 the remit of the programme.

Obviously I think of you after child under the age of 18.

How only child was you get a different account so perhaps from someone who is 58 and growing up later the takeaway for me in this research the research about children and only children being selfish and lonely and spoilt was based on thinking from 1896.

There are many social attitudes which we still seem to inhabit that.

Boots back in the Victorian period and have been on challenges it felt for us to do something different in you on this to explore how we've arrived at some of these stereotypes.

Can we move onto the second program because I've been to the children dinner want to go for swimming classes.

Because they used to teach them about the legs the size of the legs school kids yes primary school starts really earlier on and just one moment to affect the child and Hardy Fielding look and how they should look with this email from a listener who didn't want his name read out on as a father a 12-year old boy.

I was very interested to hear radio for bringing up Britain programme about boys anxiety with Body Image why was the programme dominated by women talking about the subject is a female presenter plus 3 female interviewees and another whereas those 1 ml interviewee and some boxes of Hertfordshire school boys if there's a programme about girls and woman's body image presented man with 3 ml interviewees a father and one female interviewee and some boxes from girls with that have been acceptable.

They could have had a father of boys talking about his view of the subject and even discussing it with his son.

Sans friends, I'm sure it is possible to find more than one male expert on Body Image so Phillips Alice why didn't you have more male experts in the programme talking about a boy's Body Image Radio 4 audience with want me as an editor and the journalist to make this program to go to the best minds on this subject and if you know that the UK government is commissioned report in body image male and female you want him the author of that now the author of that report is a woman the co-author of that is a woman that until now most Body Image research.

Been into girls Body Image and teenage girls Body Image and the male body image has not really been part of it only now.

Is it becoming recognised but still many of the expertise is coming from an understanding of the female body image research.

So actually you're getting akenside line from female body image into male body Mr many experts.

There are all women in the end.

Program is centrally for the first two samba first world problems people say it sounded particularly middle-class.

It doesn't sound too to be a programme made about those whose primary concern is how do they feed their children and how did they bring them up? This was a programme for the middle-class it wasn't a program for the rest of Britain we are a programme about in away the the philosophy and the Sciences and the cultural practicalities of making of a rearing children.

There are other places where we can discuss food poverty and we can discuss issues to do with the word families organise themselves all those things here.

This is a programme really that they bring you some philosophy behind what is going on and you've done 13 series so far.

We intend to do some more our thanks to Philip sellers executive editor of bringing up Britain and that's it for this week until next week.

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